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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Ben Arnold

Pub famous for its pies and less than 90 minutes from Manchester crowned best gastropub in UK

A pub just over an hour from Manchester has been named the best gastropub in the country. The Parkers Arms, near Clitheroe, scooped to top spot after coming in second last year.

Famed for its pies, the pub is run by chefs Kathy Smith and Stosi Madi, and stands in a picturesque green in the village of Newton-In-Bowland. It has been climbing up the rankings for the past few years, scooping second place last year, after moving up from 48th place in 2017 when it first entered the top 50 of the annual Gastropub Awards.

Read more: The Manchester restaurant hailed among the best in the UK

The pub’s menu is rarely listed on its website, and can change twice daily according to the local produce that’s available. The establishment - around an 80-minute drive from Manchester - beat last year’s winner, the Unruly Pig in Woodbridge, Suffolk, which hosted this year’s ceremony, into second place this year.

It’s not the only pub nearby that was celebrated. The Freemasons, just a short drive away from The Parkers Arms in Wiswell, came in at third, while the much-love Pack Horse at Hayfield in Derbyshire landed at number 18.

Parkers Arms chef Stosi Madi (The Parkers Arms)

The Shibden Mill Inn in Halifax came in at number 14, while the now sadly closed Moorcock Inn at Sowerby Bridge landed at 21. Top 50 Gastropubs publisher Chris Lowe said: “We are thrilled to see such a strong list of contenders this year, including five new entrants! The Top 50 Gastropubs provides a space for food and drink lovers the opportunity to explore the best that the UK has to offer.

“We are delighted to host this year’s event at The Unruly Pig, showcasing the vast amount of talent across the UK.”

The Parkers has long been known for its pies, and as well as serving them on the menu, they're available to take away and cook at home, in various sizes. Recent fillings have included curried mutton, Lancashire cheese and creamed potato, and Lancashire spring chicken and garlic.

Here’s the top 50 in full:

1. Parkers Arms, Newton-In-Bowland

2. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge

3. Freemasons at Wiswell, Wiswell

4. The Sportsman, Seasalter

5. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells

6. The Angel at Hetton, Hetton

7. The White Swan at Fence, Fence

8. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow

9. The Fordwich Arms, Kent

10. The Red Lion and Sun, London

11. The Mariners, Rock

12. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock

13. The Harwood Arms, London

14. Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax

15. The Coach, Marlow

16. The Beehive, Great Waltham

17. The Cadeleigh Arms, Tiverton

18. The Pack Horse, Hayfield

19. Pyne Arms, Barnstaple

20. The Black Swan, Ravenstondale

21. The Moorcock Inn, Sowerby Bridge

22. The Guinea Grill, London

23. The Baring, London

24. The Masons Arms, Knowstone

25. Canton Arms, London

26. The Rat Inn, Anick, Hexham

27. The Pipe and Glass, Beverley

28. The Longs Arms, South Wraxall

29. The Dog at Wingham, Canterbury

30. The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon

31. The Hardwick, Abergavenny

32. The Loch and The Tyne, Old Windsor

33. The Bull & Last, London

34. The White Horse, Brancaster

35. The Black Bull, Sedbergh

36. The Swan, Bampton

37. The Bell Inn, Langford

38. Scran and scallie, Edinburgh

39. The Dog & Gun Inn, Skelton

40. The Duck Inn, Stanhoe

41. The Duncombe Arms, Ashbourne

42. The Black Bear Inn, Usk - Wales

43. Heft, High Newton

44. The Broad Chare, Newcastle

45. Woods, Dulverton

46. The Gunton Arms, Norwich

47. The French House, London

48. The Eagle, Farringdon, London

49. The Butchers Arms, Hepworth

50. Royal Oak, Whatcote

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